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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. capital — a city
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. court — for sport
  7. craft — boats
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. capital — money
  11. court — of law
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. pit — a hole
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. squash — to crush
  18. court — of a king
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — in a race
  21. craft — a skill
  22. prune — to trim
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. fan — to cool the air

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com